Thursday, May 29, 2025
May 4 to 10 is Drinking Water Week in Manitoba and Manitoba Environment and Climate Change is encouraging Manitobans to test their well water.
All Manitobans with a private well or cistern supplying their drinking water should test their water at least once per year. The ideal time for homeowners to test water is in spring after snowmelt, flooding, heavy rainstorms or any time homeowners notice a difference in the colour, clarity, odor or taste of well or cistern water.
The Private Well Testing Subsidy Program partners with an accredited laboratory to provide private well and cistern owners a once-per-year partially subsidized test price to detect total coliforms and E. coli in their water supply.
The program is available through Duracan Laboratory, located at 862 Dufferin Ave. in Winnipeg, at a subsidized cost to homeowners. This year, the Manitoba government is making it more affordable for Manitobans to test at a subsidized cost of $17.67 (tax included). This represents a saving of over $7 per test compared to last year.
If the test is positive, the homeowner is notified as soon as possible, given instructions on how to disinfect the water source and issued a resample coupon to retest their water after treating the well or cistern, free of charge.
Questions about the Private Well Testing Subsidy Program or Duracan Ltd. should be directed to Duracan Laboratory at 204-960-9995 or www.duracan.ca/contact.
